Radiator closure



July 6, 1926.

DE WITT C. THOMAS ET AL RADIATOR CLOSURE Filed Nov. 18, 1922 IIILIIIMH Patented July 6, 1926.

outrun nnfvvirro. ri-roirir'si-or Mi-LWTAUKEE, AND WILLIAM. E. .Yiimma or-wnsr' armsi Wisconsin, AssIGN'oRs 'ro ALLIscnALrtEiss mmoracrvams coat-m ni, or

MILWAUKEE, WISGONSIN,.-A conros arron' ornEIJAwARE? v aanriiroa This invention: relates in; general? to im proveinents in" the art ofrheattransfer, and

rela'test n'i'ore specifically to improvements the: construction and operation of radiator closuresfor motor driven" vehicles and the f like.

An object ofthein-vention is" toprovide a radiator closurewhicli is simple-in construe--- q tion a'nd eilicient in operation; Another object off the invention" is to provide an ex tremely' compact and inexpensive adjustable radiator curtainfor motor vehicles and. the like.- A- further: obj ect oft'he invention is: to

H rovide a conveniently adjust-able radiator curtain whichis -ofsubstantial' co'nstruction and which avoids the use: of delicate mech anisms which are'apt to 'b'ecoine inoperative; Still another object of the invention. is to provide an adj u'stabl eiradiator' curt ain which may be readilyrapplie'd to the radiators of* existing motor vehicles of various types. These? and other objects and? advantages of the present in'vention -Wil-l be'-'apparent from the following description.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the manner of adjusting devices constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the radiator of a motor vehicle having an improved ourtain applied thereto.

, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a motor vehicle radiator having the improved curtain applied thereto, one of the guide channels having been omitted in order to more clearly disclose details of construction of the device.

The radiator 2 is of the vertical type ordinarily located at the front of the vehicles and comprises a network of circulating tubes through which the jacket cooling water of the engine is urged and between which air is drawn with the aid ofa fan operable by the engine in the usual manner. The front of the radiator is provided with upper and lower integral horizontal flanges 4, 5 re spectively, located above and below the radiating tubes and extending entirely across the radiator. Vertical channels 3 are attached to the flanges 4, 5 in any convenient manner, these channels forming vertical para llelgrooves; extending along the'iopposites SllQSfOf the; radiator-2 The" upper portions:- of? the" front flanges of the channels 1 3 are preferably" cut away as sh own-v Fig.1 The-rectangular fabrics curtain 8 has its up; perend provided with a loop through WlllGhexten ds a removable horizontal rod" 7- which; is supported" in openingsl atf the upper ends of the channels 3, the rod 7 beingtnorm-allys confined against end-wise. movement by means ofleaf springs-6 secured to-the than nels: 3 and coasting withthe: opposite ex; trenieiendsof-the=rod '7. 'lhefla-t horizontal bar 9- preferably formed of-Woo'd, is' attached to the lower endxof the -curtain 8;:thecurtain being adapted to be" Wrapped around the 7 bar 9 and the ends of the bar" being i'd-iss po'sable within the vertical grooves formed by the: channels 3.- The grooves:-foi'med-inthe channels 3 are ofless :width measured transversely oftheban 9 than the greatest? width of the ends-oftheba-lr 9 as indicated inFig, r j W lVhen it is desired to vary the effective length of the curtain 8 in order to expose more or less of the radiator cooling surface or tubes, it is necessary only to tilt the bar 9 by raising one end thereof until the raised bar end is free to be Withdrawn forwardly from the adjacent recess afforded by the channels 3. The bar 9 may then be with drawn freely from both channels 3 and more or less of the curtain 8 wrapped about the bar. After the desired degree of adjustment of the curtain 8 has been effected, the bar 9 may again be positioned within the grooves of the channels 3 by tilting the same vertically, bringing the bar ends in the plane of the holding recesses, and dropping the bar 9 to horizontal position as indicated. Due to the fact that the bar 9 has ends of 06 greater width than the transverse width of the holding grooves, the bar 9 cannot rotate when its ends are located within the holding grooves and the curtain 8 is automatically held in adjusted position. The entire curtain 8 and bar 9 may be readily removed by endwise removal of the supporting rod 7. The rod 7 may be endwise removed by withdrawing one of the retaining springs 6 and merely pulling the rod 7 from the loop in 1 the upper end of the curtain 8 and from the openings-in the channels 3. The curtain 8 and bar 9 may then be elevated vertically from in front of the radiator and subsequently freely forwardly removed after the bar 9 has been elevated above the cutaway ends of the holding grooves.

It will be obvious that this device is extremely simple, compact and inexpensive to manufacture, and serves to effectively cut off any desired amount of the radiator surface. The curtain 8 is of suiiicient length so that the entire radiator surface may be closed, such condition being desirable when the motor vehicle is being operated in very cold weather or when the same is not being operated at all. The device is of extremely substantial construction and employs no delicate mechanisms which are apt to become inoperative. The closure may be readily applied to existing motor vehicles and has been found exceptionally effective for application to traction engines.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact cetails of construction and of operation herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination. a radiator, a curtain, means for fixedly attaching one end of said curtain along an edge of said radiator, a bar secured to the opposite end of said curtain, said bar having an end provided with a fiat surface, and means forming a groove along another edge of said radiator at right angles to said first edge for receiving said bar end, said groove being formed to coact with said surface to prevent rotation of said bar and to maintain the same in an adjusted position.

2. In combination, a radiator, a curtain, means for fixedly attaching the upper end of said curtain along the top of said radiator, a flat bar secured to the lower end of said curtain, said bar having an end provided with opposed flat surfaces, and means forming a groove along the side of said radiator for receiving said bar end, said groove being formed to engage said surfaces to prevent rotation 01": said bar and to maintain the same in an adjusted position.

3. In combination, a radiator. a curtain located in front of said radiator. a removable rod for attaching the upper end of said curtain along the upper end of said radiator, a bar "for varying the effective length of said curtain secured to the lower end thereof, and means located on opposite sides of said radiator and providing vertical grooves for receiving the opposite ends of said bar, said grooves being of less width measured transversely of said bar than the greatest width of the ends of said bar.

In testimony whereof. the signatures of the inventors are aflixed hereto.

DE WITT G. THOMAS. WM. E. YUNKER. 

